Welcoming the Future
Saying goodbye to 2017, I realize, invokes very mixed feelings. There were some good times and some sad times. It is the first full year without my oldest son and every little celebration brought his absence to the forefront. It is never easy, we will always miss him, but it truly does ease up with the passage of time. We all have losses at one time or another and in moving on we can try to keep the memory alive while also keeping the sadness in check.
It was the year that brought us the knowledge that life under Mr. Trump is, to say the least, different. Labeling 2017 as the “year of the tweeting president” is my bi-partisan way of keeping my judgement to myself. Discussing politics has become a minefield, so I keep it to a minimum.
Then toward the end of the year we were bombarded with a tidal wave of allegations of sexual misconduct about men many of us were shocked and saddened to hear named. Plus, I had a short, new relationship with a man that was not to be, and 2017 saw that end too.
We Americans are resilient people. I find my resilience in finding a positive amongst all the negative. We lost a family member in 2016 and we gained a new one in 2017. My sister became a grandmother in September and this beautiful, healthy little baby is the perfect evidence that life really does go on.
We are not at war. We have not yet felt the repercussions of new bills being passed. We are living our lives right now, and right now is all we have. So far, we live no differently today than we did before this unusual man took the helm. Tomorrow may be another story, but tomorrow is not here yet. I, for one, am anxious to see what lies ahead, but I have learned not to think of that too much. As my mom used to say, “Tomorrow I could be hit by a car and killed”. Some of her advice I have thrown to the wind…this gem I am keeping.
2017 was the year I had several pieces I wrote published, allowing myself to proclaim I am a writer. This was the year I had a milestone birthday. This birthday I felt the significance of aging. I am at a stage that when someone hears a person died at my age, they no longer say, “Oh, she was so young.” But I feel the power that comes with my age, the power to let things go that are not important and concentrate on what brings me joy. This coming year I plan to write more, go to more classes and lectures, do what I need to do to stay healthy, and find joy in being with family and friends.
I look to 2018 as the year I let go of worry. There is no benefit to worrying about what might come. New years are fresh starts. No one knows that better than exercise gyms, weight loss programs, and housecleaning services. Out with the old and on with the new. I have plenty I could worry about. My sister’s health is not good and some of my family have money problems, but none of that is in my power to fix.
A therapist once told me the secret to a happy life is knowing the difference between what you have power over and what you do not. In 2018 I plan to choose what to worry about, fix the things I can, and let go of worries over things I cannot.
I am in the third act of my life. I will make it a good year. Can’t wait to see what happens.
Category: Local News
